Faced with a torrent of negative feedback over proposed bus route cuts, the Memphis Area Transit Authority board delayed a vote as agency officials sift through feedback and re-examine the plans.

“It’s kind of a new day with what we learned from the public,” said John Lancaster, MATA director of planning and scheduling. “We heard from the public loud and strong that they want late-night service and they don't want to see any routes eliminated.”

Nearly 30 routes would have seen changes under the initial proposal; seven of those were outright route eliminations. The original proposal called for eliminating some routes, while reducing frequency and limiting weekend and night runs elsewhere.

The proposal for cuts disproportionately affects low-income areas and communities of color, said Justin Davis, organizing coordinator for the Memphis Bus Riders Union.

He called the plan “racist and classist” at Thursday's board meeting.

MATA officials said publicly prior to a Thursday afternoon meeting that the vote on route cuts would be postponed to Oct. 25 as they continue to process public feedback, but about 20 people spoke out against the cuts at Thursday's meeting.

People packed a MATA meeting room Thursday afternoon, spilling into the hallway and an overflow room. They chanted “stop the cuts,” and some told board members they were out of touch with Memphis residents who rely on bus service to travel to work, church or the grocery store.

"We have truancy concerns," she said. "MATA is very important for our students."

The service change plan is in flux, but an updated version will be posted on MATA's website before next month's meeting, MATA Chief Communications Officer Nicole Lacey said.

Memphis City Council member Edmund Ford has spearheaded a revived proposal at City Hall for a transportation utility fee on residents and businesses that could raise tens of millions of dollars annually for MATA and other transportation initiatives.

Ford is currently in a dual role and will soon step down from the council to serve as a Shelby County Commissioner. He's been tasked with leading an ad hoc transportation committee with members from both the city and county.

"It’s time to seriously discuss having a dedicated funding source for MATA," Ford said. "If you have the skill set and you have a record that’s forgivable, or you don’t have a record but you can’t get from point A to point B, that to me is the worst combination."

Changes were slated to take effect in November, but the implementation date has been pushed back to December.

“We’re in a hard place unless someone steps up with more money,” Lancaster said. “We have no place left to cut. That’s the problem.”

Contact Jamie Munks at 529-2536, jamie.munks@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @Journo_Jamie_.